DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University softball team will play a pair of midweek non-conference games against two programs within one hour of the Bull City this week when the Eagles take on North Carolina State University on Tuesday and Elon University on Wednesday. Both games are scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to check
NCCUEaglePride.com or the NCCU Eagles Athletics app for updates as the schedule is subject to change.
GAME INFO:
vs. NC State
DATE: Tuesday, March 8 at 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Dail Softball Stadium, Raleigh, N.C.
WATCH:
ACCNX/ESPN+ ($)
FOLLOW:
LIVE STATS;
@NCCUAthletics
s. Elon
DATE: Wednesday, March 9 at 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Hunt Softball Park, Elon, N.C.
WATCH: FloSports ($)
FOLLOW:
LIVE STATS;
@NCCUAthletics
NC CENTRAL DUGOUT:
The Eagles are coming off a 13-0 road loss at North Carolina A&T State University last Tuesday. NCCU (2-12 Overall) has been shutout in half of its games and will trying to get its offense going against two difficult teams that both have team ERA's below 3.00 on the season.
Freshman outfielder
Jaidyn Hamby continues to lead the maroon and gray with a 3.14 batting average. Hamby also leads NCCU with seven RBI, five runs and two doubles.
Another freshman that is making an impact for the Eagles is
Jaden Davis, who is a two-way player for NCCU as a middle infielder and pitcher. Davis ranks second on the team with a .222 batting average. In the pitcher's circle, Davis tops the Eagles with a 2-3 record, 5.75 ERA, 21 strikeouts and 35.1 innings pitched.
NCCU has scored just one run in its first four games against NC State in the program's DI era, but was involved in a tight 1-0 loss to the Wolfpack the last time the two teams met in 2019.
Elon is a perfect 15-0 against the Eagles since NCCU joined the DI ranks, including sweeping a three-game weekend series in Elon last season.
NC STATE DUGOUT:
The Wolfpack opened up Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play with a 2-1 series win over Syracuse University last weekend. NC State (18-3 Overall, 2-1 ACC) was picked ninth out of 13 teams in the 2022 ACC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll.
Seven of the Wolfpack's nine regular starters are batting over .300 on the season as the team is averaging 6.5 runs per game. NC State ranks fifth nationally in home runs per game with nearly two long balls per contest (1.78) and seven different batters having already gone deep multiple times this campaign.
Fifth-year senior infielder Logan Morris pacing the group with a .500 average and 26 RBI. She also ranks second on the team with 16 runs, seven home runs, five doubles and three stolen bases. Morris has been NCSU's first or second best run producer each of the last four seasons, including leading the ACC in RBI last season.
Sophomore infielder Kaylee Lambrecht has a .406 average and team-best totals of 17 runs scored and four stolen bases.
A trio of pitcher's have accounted for all of the Pack's wins this season in Maddie McPherson (5-1, 1.97 ERA, 49 SO, 39.0 IP), Aisha Weixlmann (7-1, 2.03 ERA, 67 SO, 48.1 IP) and Sam Gress (6-1, 3.10 ERA, 28 SO, 40.2 IP).
ELON DUGOUT:
The Phoenix went 4-1 in the Elon Softball Cardinal Invitational they hosted last weekend, including wins over Michigan State University, Detroit Mercy and East Carolina University. Elon (13-6 Overall) – picked third out of eight teams in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Softball Preseason Poll – has played 18 of its first 19 games at home.
Senior outfielder Rebecca Murray and junior utility Megan Grant pace Elon's lineup with batting averages of .396 and .321, respectively, and are both reigning Second Team All-CAA selections form last season. Murray also leads the Phoenix with 12 stolen bases.
Sophomore infielder Gabi Schaal (.296) has Elon's top power bat, leading the squad with four home runs, 21 RBI and 13 runs scored.
The Phoenix has a deep pitching staff of six arms. Senior McKenzie Weber (3-0) has impressively not allowed an earned run this season in six appearances (24 innings). A pair of freshmen in Isley Duggins (4-1, 2.26 ERA) and Taylor Cherry (3-2, 3.53 ERA) are accounting for most of Elon's victories with Weber. Cherry is averaging over one strikeout per inning with a team-best 43 K's in a team-most 37.2 innings pitched.
